Washing machine



May 16, 1961 J. F. BELAIEFF WASHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.28, 1958 y 1961 J. F. BELAIEVFF 2,984,094

WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 179.12 r? O 1? M 11B an; ,4 WM

May 16, 1961 J. F. BELAIEFF 2,984,094

WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

United" States Patent O WASHING MACHINE James Frank Belaieif,Collonge-Bellerive, Switzerland,

assignor to Frame S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland, a Swiss company 'Thepresent invention has for object a washing machine of the typecomprising a rotary drum permitting of washing and wringing, secured toa nonvertical drivmg shaft rotating in at least one bearing provided inone of the end walls of a tank suspended elastically inside a frame.Washing machines of this kind, at present known, do not permit eflicientwringing of the linen after washing, because the irregular distributionof the linen, loaded with water, along the inner wall of the drum, doesnot permit of driving said drum at a sulficient rotary speed to obtain asufiicient expulsion of water from the linen, under the action ofcentrifugal force. Indeed, the irregular and unbalanced distribution ofthe bundles of linen soaked in water, creates forces which have adestructive action on the frame of the machine and on the bearings ofthe shaft carrying the drum, the values of which are a function of thespeed of rotation and of the diameter of the drum. Now, experience hasshown in actual fact that in a washing machine of normal or standarddimensions, comprising, for example, a horizontal drum of a diameter of40 to 60 cm. (i.e. about 15 to 23 inches), it is practically impossibleto drive the said drum at a speed exceeding 400 or 500 revolutions perminute, while, in

order to obtain a wringing of the linen which may be considered assuflicient, a speed of rotation of at least 600 to 700 revolutions perminute would be necessary. The washing machine, object of the presentinvention,

tends to overcome this disadvantage by the fact thatthe said drum isprovided with a balancing device formed by inertia bodies immersed in aliquid and rolling freely inside at least one annular shaped chamber,hermetically sealed and fixed to the drum, transfer passages beingprovided between the saidinertia bodies and the walls of the chamber andby the fact that the free section of the said transfer passages, thedensity of the inertia bodies and the viscosity of the liquid fillingthe chamber, have values such that for the speed of rotation of the drumcorresponding to the washing, the inertia bodies are inactive and, underthe elfect of gravity, roll in the lower region of thechamber, whereas,for a speed of rotation exceeding that for the washing, but lower thanthat necessary for wringing, the said inertia bodies are driven in themovement of the drum and are distributed automatically along the annularcham-v ber, so as to balance the bundles of linen irregularlydistributed inside the drum.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically andby way of example twoembodiments of a washing machine according to the invention.

Fig. 1 is an outer perspective view of the first embodiment. 7

Fig. 2 isa view in axial section of the machine shown in Fig. 1 andequipped with inertia bodies according to a first variant. Fig. 3 is asectional view along line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view and on a larger scale of aninertia bodv.,-

Fig. 5 is a view on a very large scale of a detail.

' Figs. 6 to 9 are diagrams showing the operation of a first variant ofthe balancing device.

Fig. 10 shows the operation of a second variant of the balancing device.

Fig. 11 is a view of a variant of an inertia body, certain parts beingshown in section.

Fig. 12 is a view in profile and on a large scale of an inertia bodyaccording to another variant. 7

Fig. 13 is a view in axial section of the second embodiment of thewashing machine.

According to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawing, the washingmachine comprises a frame formed by a chassis 1, fixed to a base 2 andthe front wall of which is provided with a door 3 giving access to theinside of a rotary drum 4 (Fig. 2) secured to the end of a driving shaft5. The said shaft rotates freely in a bearing 6, provided in the endwall 7 of a tank 8 surrounding the rotary drum 4 the peripheral wall ofwhich has a large number of perforations 9. An electric motor M securedto the lower part of the tank 8 drives, on the one hand, a pump 11 and,on the other hand, the shaft 5 through the agency of a change speed Vand a trapezoidal belt transmission 12. The tank 8 is suspended insidethe frame through the agency of suspension devices comprising, on theone hand, springs 14 secured to the frame and connected to the tank 8 bycables 15 passing over pulleys 16 and, on the other hand, shockabsorbers 17 fixed to the tank 8 and to the frame.-

The said tank 8 is thus able to move inside the frame.

against the action of the suspension devices, but cannot be driven inthe rotary motion of the drum 4. The rear end wall 18 of the drum isrigidly secured to the end of the driving shaft 5, and its front wall 19is provided with a central orifice 20 and an approach passage 21.

The said rotary drum is further provided with a balancing devicecomprising two annular chambers 22 hermetically sealed and the outerdiameter of which corresponds approximately to the diameter of the drum4.

Each chamber 22 is completely filled with a liquid,

such as oil. At least two inertia bodies, formed by rollers 26 (Figs. 4and 5), rotate freely inside each annular chamber 22. Each roller 26 isof general cylindrical shape and is provided, on the one hand, with twocircular roller-tracks 27 and, on the other hand, with balls 28 partlyengaged in housings 29 made in each of its end faces 30 and regularlydistributed along a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of theroller. The said roller-tracks and the said balls provide between thewalls.

of each chamber 22 and each roller 26 transfer passages 31 which conveyto the rollers a certain liberty of movement inside their annularchamber, by permitting the liquid to flow on either side of each roller.

The surface of the said roller-tracks 27, as well as;

the surface of the balls 28, are polished and have a hardness at leastequal to that of hardened steel and a very small friction coefficient,for example, at the most equal, to that of hardened steel. Thus, thecontact surface be tween the rollers and the walls of the chamber 22 arereduced as much as possible, and friction is reduced to a suflicientlylow degree to permit as described hereafter a movement of the rollersduring the wringing in order to restore the balance of the drum 4 as thewater is extracted.

The operation of the washing machine described is the, following:

After having introduced the linen by the door 3 into the drum 4 andhaving introduced in the tank 8 the necessary quantity of water, theuser actuates a control member 32 from the position of rest O'to theposition L, so as to start up the electric motor M and drive the drum 4at a speed of about 60 revolutions per minute necessary for washing thelinen. At this speed of rotation, the rollers 26 are inoperative androll in the lower part (Fig. 6) of each annular chamber 22. Indeed, thefriction of the rollers along the walls of the annular chambers isnegligible and the said rollers cannot therefore be driven along withthe drum and, moreover, the section of the transfer passages 31 is ofsufficient size, relative to the viscosity of the liquid filling thechambers 22, for the resistance offered, by the said passages to theflow of liquid therethrough, to be insufiicient to overcome the actionof the weight of the rollers and drive them in the movement of rotationof the drum.

At this speed of 60 revolutions per minute, the weight of the rollers 26rolling in the lower part of each annular chamber is not troublesome,all the more so since the lower part of the drum bathes in the washingwater.

When the washing of the linen is finished, the user empties the tank 8by operating a control member 33 which puts into operation the pump 11.Once the emptying is finished, the user operates the control member 32to the position E, in order to bring about, through the agency of thechange speed V, a progressive increase in the speed of the drum 4 to aspeed of 600, 700 or even. 1000 revolutions per minute in order toeffect the wringing of the linen.

At a speed of rotation of 250 to 300 revolutions per minute, thefriction of the rollers 26 along the walls of the annular chambers 22,but particularly, the liquid enclosed in the said chambers, theviscosity of which is too great relative to the section of the transferpassages 31 to allow a rapid flow of the liquid from one side to theother of each roller, drives the said rollers against the action oftheir gravity to above the horizontal diametral plane of the drum 4.

At that moment, the inertia bodies are rapidly accelerated up to thespeed of rotation of the drum, thus bringing about a temporary increaseof the couple necessary for driving the drum 4. Due to the fact that thesaid drum is connected to the motor M through the agency of the changespeed V, the motor rotates during the whole period of acceleration ofthe drum, approximately at its working speed, so that, a motor M of apower equal to that of motors generally employed to drive the drum of aknown washing machine of this kind, is capable of providing thetemporary motor torque necessary for the setting in action of thebalancing device, which occurs at a speed which is a function of therunning conditions and, in particular, of thev temperature of the liquidenclosed in the annular chambers 22. On the other hand, by equipping thewashing machine described as in the case of washing machines of thiskind at present in use, with a two speeds motor or with a change speedwith two or even three speeds, at the moment of setting in action thebalancing device, the motor generally rotates at a speed much lower thanits working speed, so that in order to overcome the braking torquecreated by the sudden acceleration of the inertia bodies when thebalancing device is operated, it would be necessary to over dimensionthe driving motor to an exaggerated degree, that is to say, to equip themachine with a motor of a power equal to a multiple of the power ofmotors which normally equip machines of this kind. As soon as therollers 26 have reached the speed of the drum, the inertia bodies andthe drum together are progressively accelerated to the wringing speed.

If the bundles of linen 34 soaked with water are distributed regularlyor symmetrically along the inner wall of the drum, the rollers 26distribute themselves regularly (Fig. 7) about the axis of rotation ofthe drum, whereas if the bundles of linen 34 are distributedirregularly, the rollers 26 place themselves automatically opposite thesaid bundles of linen (Figs. 8 and 9) and so as to balance said bundles.

Due to the fact that the drum is provided with two annular chambersprovided with rollers forming inertia bodies and which are situated atthe two ends of the drum, a practically perfect balance is obtained, sothat it is possible to drive the said drum without risk of damaging thehearings or of dangerous action on the frame, at speeds quitesufficiently high to obtain an efiicient wringing of the linen, so thatafter a short period, the user may stop the motor M, open the door 3 andwithdraw his linen sufiiciently wrung for it to be ironed withoutprevious drying.

The tests carried out have shown that when the friction of the inertiabodies 26 between each other and along the walls of the chambers 22 issufiiciently low, the balancing of the lump or lumps formed by thebundles of linen 34, irregularly distributed inside the drum, takesplace automatically and that, further, the relative positions of theinertia bodies are modified automatically as the extraction of the waterproceeds during the wringing of the linen, so that the said deviceautomatically maintains a practically perfect balancing of the drum 4,in spite of the continual modifications in the weight of the bundlesirregularly distributed in the said drum.

However, in order to realize such a balancing of the drum, it is stillnecessary that the rollers 26 be not only dynamically balanced inrelation to their axis of rotation, but also that in each elementaryring concentric to the axis of the roller, the elementary masses bedistributed in a homogeneous manner. Indeed, if this condition is notfulfilled, the centrifugal force acting on the elementary sector of anelementary ring comprising a larger number of elementary masses andwhich is furthest from the axis of rotation of the drum 4, brings abouta movement of the said roller along the wall 41, until the saidelementary sector which comprises a larger number of elementary massesbe situated in a radial plane of the drum. Consequently, the saidcentrifugal force generally tends to maintain the roller out of itsexact balancing position.

In order to take this action into account, the housings 29-, providedfor the balls 28, have a larger volume than that of the part of the ballhoused inside the said housing. The volume of the space 35 (Fig. 5) issuch that the weight of a corresponding volume of the material of saidroller 26'is equal to the weight of the part of the ball 28 projectingfrom the endwall 30 of the roller 26. In this manner, the elementarymasses of the elementary ring containing the balls being distributed ina homonogeneous manner throughout the volume of the said elementaryring, the centrifugal force, acting on eachelementary sector of the saidelementary ring, is of the same amount and therefore has no furtherinfluence on the position of the roller, so that the latter placesitself automatically in its exact balancing position.

The number of inertia bodies rolling in each chamber 22 is at leastequal to two. However, the smaller the number of the inertia bodies is,the greater is the volume of each inertia body. For this reason, it isoften advantageous to provide for a large number of inertia bodies 26a,as shown in Fig. 10, which permits of producing a balancing device inwhich the annular chambers 22 are of less volume. In order to avoid anuntimely driving of the inertia bodies during the period of washing, thenumber of the said inertia bodies is at the most equal to that fillinghalf the length of the chamber 22 (Fig. 10).

According to Fig. 12, each inertia body is formed by a roller 26b thefront faces 30b of which comprises a bearing surface 36 concentric tothe axis of rotation of the roller. A ring of balls 37,.fixed on eachbearing surface 36, permitsof reducing, to a large extent, the frictionbe tween the roller and the walls 24 of the chamber 22;

The roller tracks 27b may bed one piece with the body of the roller ormay be formed by hardened steel circles hooped on the body of theroller."

. Fig. 11 shows a variant of an inertia body formed by a' hollowcylinder 23 closed at its two ends and filled with a liquid of highdensity such as mercury or with pieces of a material having a density atleast equal to that of steel. Satisfactory results have been obtainedwith iron or lead shot. The end walls 25 of the cylinder are providedwith balls 28c placed in the housings 38 in the shape of a portion of asphere.

The cylinder 23 is provided with two ball bearings 39 the inner ring ofwhich is integral with the said cylinder, while the outer ring rollsalong the wall 41 of the chamber 22. In this variant, the distributionof the elementary masses in the cylinder 23 may be of any kind,homogeneous or not, because the centrifugal force, acting on anelementary sector which comprises a larger number of elementary masses,merely produces a rotation of the cylinder inside the outer ring of theball bearings, but no movement of the inertia body out of its exactbalancing position.

It is obvious that, in a variant of this embodiment the hollow cylinder23 may be replaced by a length of a metal bar having a high density,such as lead for example.

When the length of the cylinder 23 is small, for ex ample at the mostequal to three times the width of the ring of the ball bearing 39, thesaid cylinder may then be provided with a single roller bearing 39.

Fig. 13 shows a washing machine of the type comprising a drum 4asupported at its two ends. In this figure, the elements and membersalready described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 bear the same referenceciphers. The motor M drives the drum 4a through the agency of the changespeed V and trapezoidal belts. This change speed is of known typecomprising two grooved pulleys 42 connected by a trapezoidal belt 43 andeach formed of two cheeks movable one with respect to the other.

The relative position of the cheeks of one of the pul- Ieys iscontrolled by a control device comprising an operating member secured tothe end of a rod t which carries one of the checks of the pulley 42.

The tank 8, connected to the frame 1, 2 by elastic devices and shockabsorbers (not shown), comprises an opening 44 corresponding to aloading opening 45 made in the upper wall 46 of the frame and closed bya cover 47.

The drum 4a, carried at each end by a spindle rotating freely in abearing 6a, also comprises an opening 48, closed by a small door 49.

This drum is provided with a balancing device similar to the onedescribed above and which comprises two annular chambers 22 in whichroll inertia bodies such as spheres 50, preferably of hardened steel.Each annular chamber is formed by a dished base 51 to which iselectrically soldered a dished cheek 52. An annular joint 53 ensuresimperviousness and a steel band 54 applied elastically against the innerwall 55 of greater diameter of the chamber 22 ensures a practicallyeverlasting runway.

The section of the transfer passages 31 is adapted to the density of theinertia bodies and to the viscosity of the liquid filling the chamber 22through modification of the shape of the parts 56 and 57 of the base andthe check which form Walls cutting two opposite angles of the'chamber22, so that the cross section of the said chamber has the general shapeof a square of which two opposite angles are taken oif.

The operation of this second embodiment of the washing machine issimilar to that of the washing machine described with reference to Figs.1 to 3, but oifers from the constructional point of view certainadvantages, particularly as regards the realization of the annularchambers and the inertia bodies.

Two embodiments of the washing machine, objects of the invention, havebeen described above by way of example and with reference to theaccompanying drawing, but it is obvious that many variants may be pro- 6vided. Thus,- for example, with only one annular chamber filled with aliquid and provided with inertia bodies. In such a case, it ispreferable to dispose the said annular chamber in the median plane ofthe drum. Although in order to produce a dynamic balancing, at least twoannular chambers provided with inertia bodies are necessary,satisfactory results have been obtained by means of a balancing devicecomprising only one annular chamber provided with inertia bodies. Insuch a case, it is however preferable to give the drum a general shapeof a double cone, so that the bundles of linen distribute themselves ina nearly equal manner on either side of a diametral plane passingthrough the annular chamber of the balancing device.

The annular chambers could be disposed either inside the drum, or on itscircumference. However, it is advantageous to provide annular chambers'22 having a mean diameter as large as possible, so as to obtain, bymeans of inertia bodies of a given weight, a balancing eifect as greatas possible. The annular chamber fixed to the front wall of the drummust necessarily, in the case of a machine provided with a side door 3,have an inner diameter at least equal to that of the channel 21 givingaccess to the inside of the drum 4. It is advantageous to dispose theannular chambers of the balancing de-. vice relative to the drum 4 insuch a way that they are situated out of the path traversed by the dropsof water expulsed from the linen during the wringing and that, further,the said annular chambers do not hinder the free circulation of thewater between the tank and the inside of the drum during the washingoperation.

The rollers 26 may have the general shape of barrels of double cones orany other shape whereby they may roll along the outer wall of theannular chamber with a minimum of friction between them and the sidewalls, so that they may adopt freely, and at any moment, their exactbalancing position.

The annular chambers being subjected to relatively wide ranges oftemperature, it is advantageous to fill the annular chambers of thebalancing device with a liquid whose variation in viscosity in functionof the temperature is relatively small. Indeed, during washing, the hotwater at a temperature of about 70 to C. (i.e. 158 to F.) maintainsinside the tank and the annular chambers a temperature about the sameamount, whereas, during the periods of rinsing the cold water usedlowers the temperature inside the drum and in the annular chambers to atemperature of about 15 to 25 C. (i.e. 59 to 77 F).

It is therefore advantageous that, for a variation in temperature Withinthe said limits, the viscosity of the liquid enclosed in the annularchambers should remain as constant as possible and that the relation ofthe viscosities should be equal at most to 1/10.

Mineral oils of so-called constant viscosity as well as silicone oilshave given satisfactory results.

In order to permit the expansion of the liquid enclosed in the annularchambers, corresponding to the temperature variations indicated above,it is necessary to provide, during the filling of each chamber, a spacefor the expansion of the said liquid.

In practice, use is made of a liquid the viscosity of which issufiicient for it to be driven in the rotation of the drum so as toconstitute a driving agent for the inertia bodies in the movement ofrotation of the drum, as well as a shock absorber which opposes itselfduring the operation of the balancing device, to a clashing of theinertia bodies which would produce a disagreeable noise for the user.

In all the embodiments described, the washing machine comprises a drum4, 4a rotating on a horizontal axis, but it is obvious that in amodified embodiment the said axis could be slanting.

I claim:

1. In a washing and wringing machine of the kind com the drum could beprovided pri'sifig' a' frame; a tank having and walls elasticallysuspended inside said frame, a nonvertical driving shaft, a bearingprovided in at least one of the ends walls of said tank, said drivingshaft rotating in said bearing and a perforated-rotary drum fastened tosaid driving shaft and intended to' receive linen to be washed andenabling the wringing of said Washed linen, and in which said drum isprovided with a balancing device comprising two herrnetically closedchambers of annular shape each secured c'oaxially with said drum at oneend thereof, a liquid filling completely each of said annular chambers,and inertia bodies of higher specific weight than said liquid immersedin said liquid and rolling freely inside said annular chambers, transferpassages provided between said inertia bodies and the walls of saidannular chambers whereby the free section of said transfer passages, thedensity of said inertia bodies and the viscosity of said liquid fillingsaid annular chambers have values such that for the speed of rotation ofthe drum corresponding to the washing, the inertia bodies are inactiveand, under the effect of gravity, roll in the lower part of said annularchambers, whereas, for a speed of rotation exceeding that for thewashing, but less than that necessary for the wringing, the said inertiabodies are driven in the movement of said drum and distribute themselvesautomatically along said annular chambers, so as to balance the bundlesof linen irregularly distributed inside said drum.

2. A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim 1 and comprising adriving motor, a change speed device connecting said motor to saiddriving shaft in order to enable said motor to operate at its workingspeed during the acceleration of said drum and the setting in action ofsaid balancing device.

3. A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim 1 and in whicheach of said inertia bodies is of a cross sectional shape differing fromthat of the walls of said annular chambers to thereby provide betweeneach inertia body and the walls of said annular chambers passagesenabling said liquid to circulate.

4; A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim 3 and in whichsaid liquid filling said annular chambers constitutes simultaneously adriving agent for said inertia bodies in the movement of said rotarydrum and a shock absorber opposing a clashing of the inertia bodiesduring the operation of said balancing device.

5. A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim 1 and in which theinterior wall of said annular chamber having'the largest diameter is ofa hardness at least equal to that of hardened steel and has acoefficient of friction at the most equal to that of hardened steel.

6. A washing and wringingmachine as claimed in claim 5 and in which thecrosssection of said annular chamber presents the general shape of arectangle and each of said inertia bodies is constituted by a body ofgeneral cylindrical shape comprising balls disposed at the ends of thesaid cylindrical body and bearing on the side walls of the annularchamber.

7. A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim 6 and in which ineach elementary ring of material of said inertia body concentric withthe axis of rotation of each inertia body, the elementary masses aredistributed in a homogeneous manner.

ename 8 A washing'andwringing' machine'asclainied'inclaim 7' andin'which each of said inertia bodiespresent's ho'usfl ing's"forsaid'balls, said balls being only partly engaged 1nsaid'housin'g'sand in which the total volume of each housing'is suchthat the weight of the said same volume of material of said inertia bodyis equal to the weight of said ball;

9. Awashing and wringing machine as'claimed in claim 6' and in whicheach inertia body comprises at least a roller bearing the inner ring ofwhich is integral with the said cylindrical body, whereas the outer ringof said bearing'rolls along the wall of greater diameter of said annularchamber, the cylindrical body turning inside said outer ring.

10. A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim land in whicheach of said inertia bodies is formed of steel spheres, a hardened steelband lining the wall of greater diamete'r'of the'chambers, said inertiabodies rolling along said hardened steel band.

11. A washing and wringing machine as claimed in claim 1 and in whichsaid annular chambers are disposed at the ends of said drum so as to, onthe one hand, be out of the path of the wrung water particles and, onthe other hand, to preserve a free circulation of the water between thetank and the inside of said drum during the washing operation.

12. A washing and wringingrna'chine as claimed in claim 1 and in whichthe cross section of each annular chamber has' the general shape of asquare of which two opposed angles are taken otf and said chamber beingclosed, on the one hand, by a' part of an end wall of the drum and, onthe other hand, by a cheek shaped edge secured to the said end-wan.

13. A washing and wringing machine according to'claim 1, in which eachof said inertia bodies is a sphere.

14. A washing and wringing machine according to claim 13 in which theannular chambers are each formed by a generally'transverse wall of saiddrum, said transverse wall having anintegral peripheral flange and acheek secured to said drum transverse wall, said cheek having a partgenerally parallel to and inwardly spaced from said flange and anotherpart generally parallel to a'ndspaced from said drum transverse wall,said cheek and drum'forming an annular passage of generally rectilinearcross section. I

15. A washing and wringing machine according to claim-14 in which thetransverse and peripheral parts of at least one of said drum andcheekare connected by'an inclined portion.

References Cite'din the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS414,642 Herrick Nov. 5, 1889 1,314,005 Louden Aug. 26, 1919 1,521,858Bock Jan. 6, 1925' 2,296,257 Breckenridge Sept. 22, 1942 2,760,383 DeMoss Aug. 28, 1956 2,780,086 Dunlap Feb. 5, 1957 2,795,126 Sisson June11, 1957 2,836,083 Smith May 27, 1958

